Fumes-purifying apparatus



April 3, 1956 l.. vEccHlo FuMEs-PURIFYING AFPA RATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled May 24, 1952 Gttorneg Pq @wu WAN April 3, 1956 l.. VECCHIO2,740,491

FUMEs-PURIFYING APPARATUS Filed May 24, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnventorl JMW Gttorneg 2,740,491 FUMES-PURIFYlNG APPARATUS Luigi Vecchio, NorthHollywood, Calif. Application May 24, 1952, Serial No. 289,709 6 Claims.(Cl. 183-2) This invention relates to apparatus for purifying the fumesof stacks and similar discharging conduits to remove from said fumes,before the same are releasedinto the atmosphere, extraneous matter,particles, gases, etc., that may be injurious to plant and animal life.

An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of thecharacter indicated which successively washes, dries, and purites thefumes in the process of providing a non-toxic exhaust to atmosphere.

Another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus in whichthe fumes pass through an expansion or breathing stage following washingand drying so that the same is attenuated to more readily release itsextraneous matter, particles and gases.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus asindicated, self-driven means for whipping or foaming the washingsolution employed, to thereby create agitation in said solution andimproved particle-removing washing of the fumes passing through thesolution.

The invention also has for its objects to` provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easiiy installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description. However, the drawings merelyshow and the following description merely describes one embodiment ofthepresent invention, which is given by way of illustration or exampleonly.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts inthe several views.

Fig. l is a side elevational view of fumes-purifying apparatus accordingto the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fumeswashing section ofsaid apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the fumes-drying and fumespurifyingsections.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view of fumes-passingwalls typically used in the present apparatus.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a vane of agitator meansused in the washing section of the apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the vane shown in Fig. 5.

The apparatus that is illustrated comprises, generally, a fumes inlet10, a fumes-washing 'section 11 in which the fumes from inlet 10 aresubjected to agitation washing, a fumes-expanding section 12 on theoutlet side of section 11 for attenuating the fumes, a fumes-dryingsection 13 receptive of the fumes from section 12, a secondfumes-expanding section 14 on the outlet side of section 13, afumes-purifying section 15 receptive of the fumes from section 14, and afumes outlet or exhaust 16 from section 15.

The fumes inlet 10 comprises a conduit 17 that is preferablyhorizontally disposed and, while not shown, the same extends from astack or like fumes-discharging conduit. A draft to move the fumes inconduit 17 in a direction toward the washing section 11 is preferablycreated by forced air introduced in said conduit through passages 18. Inpractice, passages 18 may be arranged in encir-l nited States Pater O2,740,491 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 cling relation toconduit 17 so that theair therefrom is discharged in a direction to accelerate the movement ofthe fumes. in conduit 17 in a conduit 19 that is an extension of conduit17. Said conduit 19 extends across the top of the forward portion ofwashing section 11 and terminates at a wall 20. It will be realized thatthe disposition of air passages 1S may be varied, the intent being tocreate a draft to move the fumes in conduits 17 and 19 toward'washingsection 11.

The fumes-washing section 11 comprises a tank 21 disposed beneathconduit'19 and receptive of water, shown by the level 22, from a tube orpipe 23 connected to the top of said tank. A check valve 24 closes topressure within tank 21 and opens to-inlet flow of water upon reductionof such pressure. In any case, va1ve24 acts to prevent flow of any fumesin tank 21 into water line 23. Since any pressure that develops in tank21 is afrected` by the level of water 22, a suitable gauge may beprovided to read said level and advise as to the control of the rate ofwater flow in line 23. Therefore, a suitable valve in line 23 may be setto maintain the water level 22 as desired. A valved drain 21a isprovided for tank 21.

One or more tubes 25 are provided to communicate conduit 19 and theinterior of tank 21, the same extending preferably vertically into saidtank and to a distance whereby the lower ends are immersed in the water22. A multiplicity of orifices 26 in the immersed lower yend of the tubedisperse the fumes entering said tubes into the water. .inasmuch as saidfumes are borne by the pressure air supplied by passages 18,l the sameis forced through orificesy 26 with considerable force and, when saidborne fumes enter the water, considerable agitation of the latterensues. To increase this agitation, an independent supply of air underpressure is introduced into the water 22 by a tube 27 supplied from aconduit 28 generally coextensive with conduits 17 and 18. The lower endof tube 27 is provided with orifices 29 similar to oriiices 26. It willbe clean, therefore,. that the airborne fumes admitted through tubes 25-and the pressure air supplied by tube 27 laterally discharge throughorifices 26 and 29.

The force of such discharge is utilized to rotate al plurality ofagitator-s 30 which are provided with pitched vanes 3l and, those vanesimmersed in the water 22, with tooth-like projections 32. Upper andlower bearings 33 rotationally support shafts or stems 34 of saidagitators so the same spin freely by the force of the air-borne fumesand pressure air mentioned. The vanes 31 set up additional agitationl inwater 22 and projections 32 increase the agitation to the point thatfrothing of the surface of the water results. By introducing a detergentor soap into the water throughan inlet 35, a substantial layer of foamis built' up on the surface of the water.

It will be evident that much of the solid matter in the fumes willsettle to the bottom of tank 21 from which the sediment may periodicallybe removed. Such lighter pan ticles that remain in flotation will, inpart, eventually also settle and,.in part, will percolate upward throughthe foam layer on the saponaceous solution into the atmosphere 36thereabove.

This atmosphere is under agitation by the upper vanes 37 of agitators3i) so that the washed fumes enter a turbulent atmosphere beforedischarge through a top opening 3'7`in tank 21. Because of the mentionedturbulence in atmosphere 36, vanes 37 have many opportunities toencounter and collect on their surfaces particles of matter in the'nowmoistened fumes.

The pressure from beneath forces the moist fumesy outwardly throughopening 37 from which point they can only pass downwardly' through aplurality of oriced walls 38, of which a detail is shown in Fig. 4. Inthe process of passing through orifices 39 and around louvres or battleflanges 40 of said Walls, much of the moisture of the fumes isintercepted in the passage 41 across which walls 38 are disposed todrain downward and be removed as desired from an outlet 42a. Theresidual fumes then exit through an opening 42 at the bottom of saidpassage 41 and escape upwardly through a second passage 43 which isprovided with transverse oriced walls 44 similar to walls 38. Theselatter walls intercept additional moisture and, together with walls 38create a retarding or slowing-up of the tlow of fumes. It will be notedthat walls 38 and 44 are arranged on a slope so that interceptedmoisture drains to the side and out of the path of movement of thefumes.

The expansion section or chamber 12 is formed as a dome 45, above thepassage 43 and is of such larger proportional area than said passagethat the flow-restricted fumes attenuate or expand therein and therebyrelease residual moisture which drops into a trough or chute 46. Sincethis moisture is reasonably free of particles, the same may be returnedto tank 21. For this purpose, the return passage 47 is provided. Thefumes that leave the expansion chamber 12 at 48 still contain somemoisture.

The dryer section 13 is provided to extract such residual moisture and,in the main, comprises a chamber 49 having a concavely curved bottomwall 50 and a set of oriliced walls 51 similar to the Wall shown in Fig.4. Bottom wall 50 is provided with draining perforations 52. Thischamber 49 constitutes a condenser in which walls S1 condense andcollect moisture and pass fumes. Said walls also retard the flow of thefumes which are given impetus by pressure air supplied through a tube 53discharging into a chamber 54 interposed on the inlet side of chamber49. in addition to the above condenser, the dryer section includes atrough 55 for collecting condensate and an aspirator valve 56controlling the discharge from said trough.

The expansion section 14 serves the same purpose as expansion section12. The same comprises a large area dome 57 above and receiving fumesfrom dryer section 13. Said fumes now being substantially completelydry, comprise a gas or combination of gases that expand or attenuatereadily in the chamber of dome 57.

The purifier section 15 comprises a tank 58 having a filler opening 59for the introduction of a solution, indicated by level 60, designed toneutralize the toxicity of the fumes. Said tank is provided with aplurality of horizontal and vertical walls or partitions 61 that dividethe same into a plurality of communicating chambers 62 which, thereby,constitute a labyrinth through which the fumes pass after entry throughpassage 63 from expansion section 12. Said solution enters passages 67and 7) and, because of suitable perforations and openings 64, 71 and 71ain the partitions 61, can be lled to the level shown. Only the lowerchambers 62 contain the neutralizing solution, the openings 64 thatcommunicate said chambers being so arranged that the fumes pass in andout of the solution several times until they exit through orifices 65 insloping upper wall 66 of the last chamber 62 through which the fumespass.

The solution 60 may vary for diierent fumes, the intent being to providea neutralizing agent that nulliiies toxicity to such degree that thefumes discharging from Y outlet 16 are harmless.

Two returns of solution that may be carried by the fumes toward outletstack 16 are provided. One comprises an upper passage 67 of whichsloping wall 66 forms part of the base, and the other comprises first avertical passage 68 and then a horizontal passage 69 along the bottom oftank 58. Both returns communicate with outlet stack 16 and serve toreturn the neutralizing solution to the tank through a common passage70.

Y While openings 6d may be quite large, it is preferred that the lastupward movement of the fumes be through smaller but numerous orifices 71so that intimate commingling of the fumes and solution is assured whenthe former pass through said orifices.

A level-indicating gauge may also be provided for tank 58 as well as anoutlet line 58a.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is nowregarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course,subject to modiiication without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the inventionto the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but tocover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

l. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a tank for washingsolution, conduit means to conduct air-borne fumes into the solution,agitating means in said tank and driven by the air-borne fumes toagitate the solution while the fumes are immersed therein, there being aspace above the solution in the tank and the same being receptive offumes percolating upward through said solution, and an expanding outletfor the fumes from said space to attenuate said fumes and cause the sameto gravitationally release moisture picked up from said solution.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1: a conduit to conduct pressure air tothe solution independently of the airborne fumes to increase theagitation thereof.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2: said conduit means for the air-bornefumes and said conduit for the pressure air each terminating in at leastone perforated tube having its end immersed in the solution and saidperforation being disposed to laterally direct the fumes and air intooperative contact with the agitating means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1: downwardly and upwardly directedcommunicating passages to pass the fumes from the mentioned space intothe expanding outlet, and a plurality of oriced transverse and slopingwalls in each said passage to intercept moisture in said fumes.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1: downwardly and upwardly directedcommunicating passages to pass the fumes from the mentioned space intothe expanding outlet, a plurality of oriliced transverse and slopingwalls in each said passage to intercept moisture in said fumes, and areturn passage to the tank for moisture released by the fumes expandedin said expanding outlet.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a fumespurifying unitcomprising a tank having a quantity of toxicity-removing solution andprovided with vertical and horizontal walls dividing said tank into aplurality of chambers, there being staggered openings in the horizontalwalls to communicate the chambers in labyrinthine arrangement, an inletfor fumes to one end of said tank, an outlet from the opposite upper endof the tank, and a return to the tank for solution released by fumespassing into the outlet, said return comprising a conduit extendingdownwardly from the outlet and then horizontally along the bottom of thetank to the inlet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,214,372 Romberger Ian. 30,'1917 1,775,876 Vecchio Sept. 16, 1930V1,780,833 McGurty Nov. 4, 1930 1,876,465 Misner Sept. 6, 1932 2,203,835Minor June 1l, 1940 2,212,752 Schmieg Aug. 27, 1940 2,310,265 SweenyFeb. 9, 1943 2,471,274 Christensen May 3l, 1949 i 2,528,028 Barry Oct.31, 1950 2,612,745 Vecchio Oct. 7, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 428,354 FranceAug. 29, 1911

1. APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A TANK FOR WASHINGSOLUTION, CONDUIT MEANS TO CONDUCT AIR-BORNE FUMES INTO THE SOLUTION,AGITATING MEANS IN SAID TANK AND DRIVEN BY THE AIR-BORNE FUMES TOAGITATE THE SOLUTION WHILE THE FUMES ARE IMMERSED THEREIN, THERE BEING ASPACE ABOVE THE SOLUTION IN THE TANK AND THE SAME BEING RECEPTIVE OFFUMES PERCOLATING UPWARD THROUGH SAID SOLUTION, AND AN EXPANDING OUTLETFOR THE FUMES FROM SAID SPACE TO ATTENUATE SAID FUMES AND CAUSE THE SAMETO GRAVITATIONALLY RELEASE MOISTURE PICKED UP FROM SAID SOLUTION.